Who lives here: Zander Saunders, a technology manager, and Alex Payne, a radiographer; with their daughter Brooklyn, six; and rescue cats Monty and Tiger.
Style of home: A contemporary take on a 19th-century worker’s cottage in Sydney’s inner west.
Timeline: The home was bought in July 2015 and renovated from January—September 2019.
EXTERIOR “The facade was previously an interesting shade of green,” says Zander, “but painting it Dulux Lexicon was a better way to show off the original weatherboards and black metalwork of the verandah.”
Growing up in the bustling high-rises of New York City, Zander Saunders often imagined what it would be like to ride his bike around a sleepy suburban block and adventure through the dense thickets of his own leafy neighbourhood. So, many years later, when a 19th-century worker’s cottage in Sydney’s inner west was put on the market, Zander and partner Alex Payne decided to carve out that long-dreamt-of urban oasis for their daughter Brooklyn.
Zander (shown standing), with partner Alex and daughter Brooklyn.
“We’ve loved this area for a long time,” says Zander. “Around the corner from the house is our favourite breakfast spot in Sydney for the past 15 years, and the sense of community in this neighbourhood is amazing, which is what we really wanted Brooklyn to grow up with. It’s also incredibly inclusive and we’ve always felt entirely comfortable here as a two-dad family, which you don’t get everywhere.”
KITCHEN On the wall side of the island, the bench drops down to the living area’s cabinetry, marking the change in zone.
As it is nestled between two terraces, the couple’s initial plan was to knock down and rebuild most of the property to bring in more light. “We wanted a warm and inviting home that was sympathetic to the existing cottage and had interesting spaces to entertain and live in different ways,” says Zander. “This is the first house I’ve ever lived in, so it had to be special and unique.”
“We discovered that the building had very little structure to it and was using the walls of the neighbouring terraces as support,” says Zander.
DINING AREA A table from GlobeWest and pendant from The Lighting Collective delineate the eating area. “Baskets under the seat store throws and kids’ stuff in case we need a distraction for little ones,” says Zander. Flooring, blackbutt.
After starting the demolition in January 2019, the owners discovered that the original building had very little structure to it and was using the walls of the neighbouring terraces as support. “There had never been a proper survey done before, so the results meant we had to change some of the house dimensions in parts to avoid going over the newly defined boundaries. Having a clever architect like Katrina Passer of Passer Architects and a really focused builder [Pioneer Projects] meant that we came up with a solution pretty quickly.”
LIVING ROOM As well as having lots of storage — for books, firewood and more — the cabinetry (designed by Alex and built by Wilmont Joinery) displays some of the couple’s art objects. Sofa, Loungelovers.
Future-proofing their new home with plenty of space was another major aspect of the couple’s design brief. “As anyone with a child knows, you need more space as they grow up.
We now have room to spread out, and also many parts of the house to share together as a family,” says Zander of the new two-storey, four-bedroom design. “The social aspect of the downstairs layout means that we can welcome lots of guests. Most of our extended families don’t live in Sydney and we wanted to make sure they can visit as much as possible.”
MAIN BEDROOM A wallpaper called Designschungel 34125-1 by Laura N for AS Creations sets the tropical tone of this room. Bedding, all from David Jones. Lamp, Kmart. Custom curtains, Attractive Blinds & Shutters.
ENSUITE “We have a skylight over the shower and an LED strip under the cabinet for when there’s not enough natural light,” Zander explains. Grey marble wall tiles, Surface Gallery. Parisi basin and Astra Walker ‘Icon’ fixtures, all Sydney Tap & Bathroomware.
BEDROOM Brooklyn’s room was configured to work with the angle of the roof. Bed, Ikea. Butterscotch penny-round cushion, Castle And Things.
Having a mix of open spaces for entertaining was also a priority for Zander and Alex. This was achieved with a luxe open-plan kitchen and two other elements, including a good-sized garden. “We don’t have a huge yard, but it’s enough space to do cartwheels,” says Zander. “The laneway at the back is incredibly quiet, so you can just open the garage door and extend the yard. Most days, it’s just kids riding their bikes and scooters up and down there.” Back inside the garage door, on the right side of the yard, is a multifunctional outdoor ‘cabana’ or day bed, complete with removable padded seat. “It’s a great spot in which to read a book or relax with a friend over a glass of wine, and the kids love to play games there or treat it as a stage for musical performances.”
BATHROOM/LAUNDRY The walls are lined with matt-white ceramic tiles and the floor tiles are hexagonal Carrara marble mosaics, both from Surface Gallery. Cabinetry by Wilmont Joinery.
In addition to the floor-plan changes, lighter hues have further opened the space and created the perfect blank canvas for creative touches and bold artworks. One of the family’s favourite features is a fun patterned mural on the garage door at the back of the property. “We knew we wanted something bold there, given we’d be looking at it all the time,” says Zander. “We found a local artist, Claudia Damichi, who does a lot of bright, structured pieces that really bring spaces alive. It felt like a perfect match for the style of our home.”
BACKYARD Lawn and pavers mix it up in the approach to the family’s spectacular garage door, painted by artist Claudia Damichi.
GOOD NEWS
As well as passive solar design (through the positioning of doors and windows) to facilitate natural light and cooling, this house has solar panels and newly installed wiring to support fast charging for an electric car.
BACKYARD (both pages) “We loved the textures and features of the exterior, so having a simple white palette was a great way to show them off,” says Zander The wall and trim is Dulux Vivid White and the decking is blackbutt finished with a natural oil. Trees, Italian cypress and Eumundi quandong.
The other essential element in the ‘new’ house was a dedicated play area in the front, which becomes the guest room when people are staying. “Having a children’s playroom has been life-changing for us,” says Zander. “Kids can play in there safely while the adults are chatting by the fire in the living area, or hanging out on the back deck. Being able to actually finish a conversation is the dream when you have young children!”
LESSONS LEARNED
“Have lots of contingency, especially with an old house as there are going to be all sorts of surprises,” says Zander. “If there’s a generous budget set for dealing with ‘surprises’, your renovation will be a lot less stressful. Having our architect closely involved throughout the build made a lot of conversations with the builder easier to navigate and resolve quickly.”
See more residential designs by Passer Architects at passer.com.au or @passer_architects. Pioneer Projects is at poineerprojects.com.au
